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Confessed killers move to Appeal Court to challenge life sentences
Kaieteur News – Two confessed killers have moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge their respective life sentence. Anthony Jones, who had confessed to the 2018 fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Nyron Vyphuis and Kevin Persaud, who had confessed to the fatal shooting of Purcell Moore Jr. during a robbery at Craig Old Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) in 2017, are now asking the Court of Appeal to overturn their life sentences.
Confessed killer, Anthony Jones.
Confessed killer, Kevin Persaud.
The men were sentenced earlier this year when they appeared at the High Court to answer to the charge. They each accepted that they had unlawfully killed their victims by pleading to the lesser count of manslaughter. Jones was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon who ordered that parole only be possible after he served 20 years and Persaud was sentenced to life by the same Judge, with possibility of parole after serving 15 years in prison. In separate applications to the Appeal Court filed this week, Jones is arguing that the sentence is manifestly excessive and severe in all the circumstances of the case. Persaud is raising similar objections.
Prior to being sentenced, Jones admitted that on October 13, 2018, he killed the teenager by stabbing him to death. He said he was intoxicated on the day in question and pleaded with the court for a second chance and even apologised to the victim’s family.
But Justice Kissoon noted how Jones had “ruthlessly and violently” ended the life of Vyphuis, who at the time was still a teenager. The teenager died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he had been brought for treatment after he tried to prevent Jones’ common-law wife from being stabbed while the two were quarrelling at their liquor shop. In handing down the sentence, the judge said he took into consideration that the crime was a premeditated act, a deathly weapon was used and the element of domestic violence.
Meanwhile in the instance of Persaud, Justice Kissoon imposed life sentences on him and his accomplice who were on trial for the murder of Purcell Junior Moore. Moore, a 40-year-old clothes vendor, was gunned down at Craig, East Bank Demerara during a robbery on December 20, 2017. Reports revealed that the father of two was robbed of his gold chain and other jewellery.
Reports are that the man had returned from French Guiana several weeks prior and may have been monitored by his attackers. The man had lived in Cayenne, French Guiana with his wife and two children, but came to Guyana for the birth of his son.
Kevin Persaud called “Boyce”, formerly of 14 Avenue, Diamond, EBD, and Selwin Dawson, called “Crack Skull”, formerly of First Field, Kaneville, EBD, had been charged with his murder. The duo had initially pleaded not guilty to murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter before Justice Kissoon.
Before passing the sentence, Justice Kissoon directed the jury to return a formal verdict of guilty in relation to the lesser count. As such, Dawson and Persaud were each sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum term of 15 years.
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